: a solemn promise or assertion
specifically
: one by which a person is bound to an act, service, or condition
vowed; vowing; vows
: to make a vow
Synonyms
Examples of vow in a Sentence
Noun
The monks take a vow of silence.
The bride and groom exchanged vows.
The mayor made a vow to reduce crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
The event infamously ends with Ross accidentally saying Rachel’s name during his vows.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
Both Turner and Nist cried throughout their emotional vows.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
What was the best part of renewing your vows last year in Lake Como with Chrissy?
—Melody Chiu, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Several couples in Trenton, Ohio, exchanged wedding vows during the moon’s trek across the sun.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024
But free press advocates say his vow to keep reporters honest is a pretext to intimidate his critics.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
In 1972, about 75 couples who were part of Synanon were encouraged to renew their wedding vows in a mass ceremony.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2024
In his address, Mr. Netanyahu also repeated his vow for a military ground offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than half of territory’s population of 2.3 million now shelters after fleeing fighting elsewhere.
—Melanie Lindman, Wafaa Shurafa, and Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Trump has vowed to pardon the rioters and made the attack a cornerstone of his campaign.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
While Carrie vows to pay Charlotte back, her expectation that her friends would bail her out, no questions asked, after years of financial irresponsibility, is truly entitled and completely lacking self-awareness—and there's never any update on whether or not Carrie ever reimburses Charlotte.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
In the past, Diddy has denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the lawsuits.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The moves come as Iran’s supreme leader vowed revenge and said that Israel ‘will be slapped’ for a strike on Tehran’s consulate building in Syria that killed senior military commanders.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge on Israel on Tuesday for the airstrike.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
The governor also promised to focus on infrastructure projects such as building the Sites Reservoir and vowed to move ahead with the Delta Conveyance Project, a tunnel the state has proposed for decades to carry water beneath Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
His opponent Faye, who has equally promised to create jobs, campaigned strongly against corruption, and vowed to reexamine energy contracts as Senegal prepares the launch of its oil and gas production later in the year.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2023
Archways are dotted throughout the main living room, which is overlooked by a Juliet balcony on the first floor, while the recessed shelves are full of photographs, vintage finds and books, including the books the couple read their wedding vows from.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2023
These Sikhs vow to live by the principles of Sikhism, including remembrance of God, truthful living, service to humanity and standing up against tyranny and injustice, Gill said.
—Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2023
Republicans have decried the charges as being politically motivated, vowing to investigate Bragg and his office.
—Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2023
The documents contain purportedly private conversations between senior South Korean officials about Ukraine, indicating that Washington may have conducted surveillance on a key Asian ally even as the two nations publicly vowed to reinforce their alliance.
—Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Apr. 2023
The search for a missing 6-year-old Texas boy who hasn't been seen since October is now a death investigation, police said Thursday, while vowing to find his body.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2023
That message was echoed on pro-Trump extremist forums, where users lamented the charges against Trump and vowed revenge.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker and Jacqueline Alemany, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Apr. 2023
Policymakers share this view and vow to act, even when so often those promises don’t come to fruition.
—Ron Avi Astor, CNN, 3 Apr. 2023
Noun
That’s why, when Eilidh and Arran part, their bittersweet vow to reunite rings oddly hopeful.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
The event infamously ends with Ross accidentally saying Rachel’s name during his vows.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024
Both Turner and Nist cried throughout their emotional vows.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
What was the best part of renewing your vows last year in Lake Como with Chrissy?
—Melody Chiu, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Several couples in Trenton, Ohio, exchanged wedding vows during the moon’s trek across the sun.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024
But free press advocates say his vow to keep reporters honest is a pretext to intimidate his critics.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
In 1972, about 75 couples who were part of Synanon were encouraged to renew their wedding vows in a mass ceremony.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2024
In his address, Mr. Netanyahu also repeated his vow for a military ground offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than half of territory’s population of 2.3 million now shelters after fleeing fighting elsewhere.
—Melanie Lindman, Wafaa Shurafa, and Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
Israel's arch-enemy Iran has long vowed to completely destroy Israel.
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Trump has vowed to pardon the rioters and made the attack a cornerstone of his campaign.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
While Carrie vows to pay Charlotte back, her expectation that her friends would bail her out, no questions asked, after years of financial irresponsibility, is truly entitled and completely lacking self-awareness—and there's never any update on whether or not Carrie ever reimburses Charlotte.
—Cady Lang, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
In the past, Diddy has denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the lawsuits.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The moves come as Iran’s supreme leader vowed revenge and said that Israel ‘will be slapped’ for a strike on Tehran’s consulate building in Syria that killed senior military commanders.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge on Israel on Tuesday for the airstrike.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
The governor also promised to focus on infrastructure projects such as building the Sites Reservoir and vowed to move ahead with the Delta Conveyance Project, a tunnel the state has proposed for decades to carry water beneath Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
His opponent Faye, who has equally promised to create jobs, campaigned strongly against corruption, and vowed to reexamine energy contracts as Senegal prepares the launch of its oil and gas production later in the year.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
While Feinstein on Wednesday vowed to return to the Capitol before retiring at the end of her term in early 2025, Black leaders in California wonder if the governor’s sincerity remains.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2023
Archways are dotted throughout the main living room, which is overlooked by a Juliet balcony on the first floor, while the recessed shelves are full of photographs, vintage finds and books, including the books the couple read their wedding vows from.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2023
These Sikhs vow to live by the principles of Sikhism, including remembrance of God, truthful living, service to humanity and standing up against tyranny and injustice, Gill said.
—Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2023
Republicans have decried the charges as being politically motivated, vowing to investigate Bragg and his office.
—Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2023
The documents contain purportedly private conversations between senior South Korean officials about Ukraine, indicating that Washington may have conducted surveillance on a key Asian ally even as the two nations publicly vowed to reinforce their alliance.
—Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Apr. 2023
The search for a missing 6-year-old Texas boy who hasn't been seen since October is now a death investigation, police said Thursday, while vowing to find his body.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2023
That message was echoed on pro-Trump extremist forums, where users lamented the charges against Trump and vowed revenge.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker and Jacqueline Alemany, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Apr. 2023
Policymakers share this view and vow to act, even when so often those promises don’t come to fruition.
—Ron Avi Astor, CNN, 3 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vow
Cite this Entry
“Vow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vow. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vow
1 of 2 noun
: a solemn promise or statement
vow
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a vow or as a vow
2
: to bind or make holy by a vow
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